Queen: Experts discuss royal taking Coronavirus vaccine
The Duke of Cambridge faced a slew of criticism when it was revealed he had tested positive for coronavirus back in April — but kept it a secret from the public for seven months. The news was only leaked when William confided in a well-wisher about his condition. He reportedly said that he chose not to make the news public because “I didn’t want to worry anyone”.
At the time, the nation was in the midst of its first lockdown, Prince Charles had only just recovered from contracting Covid-19 and Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been hospitalised after he also tested positive for the deadly disease.
Even so, William’s delayed diagnosis news was met with outrage.
Many believed his secrecy compromised the trust in the monarchy during a time when it was needed the most.
He was still conducting Zoom calls at the time in an effort to stay in touch with the public, but did not mention that he was self-isolating.
Prince Charles and Prince William (Image: Getty)
William reportedly wants to be “more faceless” than his father in his approach to royal life (Image: Getty)
His silence echoes the tradition of keeping the Royal Family’s health as a private matter.
His father, on the other hand, revealed exactly when he tested positive for the disease and later confirmed that he had “got away lightly” with a full recovery.
As the Covid-19 vaccine is now being rolled out to Britain’s most vulnerable groups, many expect the 94-year-old Queen and 99-year-old Prince Philip to soon receive the potentially life-saving treatment.
Yet there has been a debate over whether or not the Palace will divulge the couples’ decision to be vaccinated, as it would be overlooking the precedent of secrecy which surrounds royal health.
A Palace source said: “The royals are royals, but medical matters are private. If they do decide to have the jab, it is a matter for them.
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The Queen, Charles and William (Image: Getty)
William is behind Charles in the line of sucession (Image: Express.co.uk)
“If they decide to then go public, again that is their call — but they certainly do not want to be seen jumping the queue and they will not be doing so.”
This attitude suggests William and the Queen are very much on the same wavelength when it comes to sticking to royal tradition.
As the Duke of Cambridge has previously indicated the monarch is his greatest role model, the Palace’s attitude casts a new light on William’s reticence over his April Covid-19 diagnosis.
Additionally, royal commentator and an acquaintance of the Royal Family, Howard Hodgson, told Express.co.uk why William is unlikely to break the tradition of secrecy around health.
When asked if the royal did not want to put his head above the parapet as he is only second-in-line to the throne — and not as senior as Charles or the Queen — Mr Hodgson said this may be a “spot on” theory.
He explained: “[William] is much more private than Harry and has a desire to be more faceless than his father.
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William has a reputation for being a very private royal (Image: Getty)
Harry, on the other hand, is very open about his private life (Image: Getty)
“I think he was very affected by the exposure he received at the hands of his mother as a child in this regard.”
The Duke of Cambridge was considered to be a confidante to his mother Princess Diana when he was growing up.
Yet, he was reportedly furious at her on the occasions when she decided to wear her heart completely on her sleeve, such as during the BBC Panorama interview from 1995.
Mr Hodgson added that William may have been thinking about his young children, too, in light of his positive diagnosis and not wanting much fuss to be made about his illness.
The Queen also has a history of being much more private.
Even so, it’s worth noting that the Queen chose to go public when eight-year-old Prince Charles and six-year-old Princess Anne were vaccinated against polio.
The polio vaccine was produced in 1956, and the Queen’s faith in it helped to dampen fears about its effectiveness and potential side-effects.
Charles told the public when he tested positive for coronavirus back in March (Image: Getty)
The Queen told the public in 1956 when both Charles and Anne were vaccinated against polio (Image: Getty)
Downing Street is reportedly hoping that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will do the same with Covid-19, in an effort to encourage dubious citizens to get the jab, as some fear that the vaccine may have been rushed through the usual stages of testing which can take years.
Yet, it remains unclear what course of action the royal stalwarts will take.
As Daily Express royal correspondent Richard Palmer tweeted: “If royals are irrelevant, then is [health] a private matter?
“But if they are important taxpayer funded people we should listen to, shouldn’t we expect the same of them as we do of prime ministers and presidents?”
Indeed, Mr Johnson’s spokesman has already come forward to say the Prime Minister would “of course be very happy to take the vaccine himself”.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also indicated that the Queen and Philip may be inclined to take the vaccine, too.
He told TODAY: “I’m not sure they’ll do it on camera, but I’m sure arrangements will be made… like any family, they will have felt all the pressure and the worries that surround this pandemic.”
